Beauty In The Beast
by DemolishedDream
Summary: A girl of 11 years becomes yet another experiment of a mysterious organization that craves for eternal life.A rollercoaster journey with life, death, and fairytales that wern't supposed to exist...Not Mary Sue, lots of cliffhangers,T for gore
1. Chapter 1: Anita Chitsuke

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A/N: Hello and welcome to "Beauty In The Beast"! This is my first Naruto fic, and, in fact, my first fanfiction written in English. Yes, it has an OC. Yes, there is a possibility of her having some kind of a relationship with Gaara BUT romance is not the focus of this story. Nether is Mary Sue-ness. So, if that is what you were looking for, sorry for the dissapointment... This story is rated "T" for a reason. So, kids, I don't think you want to read it... unless you want to have nightmares, that is xD I had to re-think the plot five, if not six times. Oh,and one itsy-bitsy note. I love to stick big, fat, annoying, nerve-teasing cliffhangers in my story... BEWARE!!!  
And... what self-respecting author does not want reviews? Please. Pretty please. I would really appreciate that.

Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER

_All the characters, places and such from the world of "Naruto" are a property of Masashi Kishimoto and his partner companies. All the new and original characters and places that have not been mentioned in the manga and anime "Naruto" are property of myself and are NOT free to use. _

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Chapter1

**_Smooth is surface of the mirror, _**

**_Like the innocence of child. _**

**_But inside the deep glass window, _**

**_Hidden is, so deep within, _**

****

It's dark...

_Shadows, small shadows flickering all around..._

_"Ghost-girl! Monster-girl!"_

_"Ghost-girl... Moooooooaaaan!"_

_It's cold..._

_"Come on, monster-girl! Show us your fangs! Show us your monster eyes! Moooooooaaan!"_

_It's grey..._

"Leave me alone!"

I opened my eyes and looked around, slowly adapting to dark.

"Wha? How did I get there?"

I was sitting on the dusty doorsteps of an abandoned farmer's market. Near me was resting a half-melted candle and a book. Candle was still burning, its flame trembling in the breeze.

"Ohh, now I get it..."

I was probably wandering around the village at night, as usual. Came here, without even thinking where I am going. Was reading... Then fell asleep. Simple.

The sun was about to rise. Its golden rays slowly started wrapping the Hidden Leaf Village in their awakening embrace. Several mourning birds started chirping, other birds replying them, and soon the streets were floating in their chaotic, yet beautiful melody. I inhaled the mourning air, so mild and refreshing... I need to get going home, or Grandmother will start worrying. I got up, gathered my belongings, and started walking back home. I easily found my way back - those sleepless nights are useful after all.

I walked pass the small shops and markets, restaurants and libraries. Everything was asleep, silent.

Then I stopped.

In front of me was the infamous Ninja Academy. The place of my dreams, the place of my heart's desire. The place I was forbidden to enter. Grand and numerous, its windows were glancing at me suspiciously; its doors were shut tightly. Oh, how I wanted to climb over the fence and take just a little peek inside!

But I hurried home.

I opened the door of our small, but comfy house. The door (evil thing!) did not bother to open quietly. Loud 'squeeeeak!' echoed through the hallway. Damn it.

"Anita? Is that you?" I heard.

Great. Now I woke up Grandmother...

"Anita? Answer me!» she demanded.

"Yes... I was just taking a little walk..." I explained. A little walk? Right...

"Don't lie to me, I know you were out all night!" she started to come down the stairs, cursing and calling me "shameless girl' and "ungrateful daughter of streets".

"I am sorry, Grandmother, I couldn't sleep... Please, forgive me." I bowed.

"Now, now... Today is your big day, isn't it? You should get ready!" she smiled.

I glanced at her. "Old and decaying", as she called herself, she had that regal appearance you usually notice when looking at some royal person. She was glowing with pride; she was so perfect in everything she did, that sometimes I wondered if she really is "just an old witch spending her last centuries in this rotten world".

"Yes, I guess it is..." I replied with a polite smile.

"All right then, let's get going!"

She sat me down at the table, and started making breakfast. It felt really uncomfortable, I was capable of helping her, and yet I knew - She will never allow anyone to help her, especially me. I was eleven by then, and still she treated me like a child. She cared about me, like I was her only treasure; ever since that day when she found me, stubborn and nearly unconscious, with no memory of what happened whatsoever...

I was seven years old when I met her. I don't really remember that day, but Grandmother described it quite well:

"It was a cold November evening. Wind was howling as mad, it rained rapidly. I was walking down the street, carrying groceries for dinner. Suddenly, I slipped on the mud; my bags obviously fell as well. I started gathering them, but one small bag was missing, I looked all around that place but it was nowhere in sight. I was about to leave, but then I felt that someone was pulling my coat from behind. I turned, and here you were, a little girl stretching out her tiny hands with the missing bag in them.

'Oh, my...'

What surprised me the most was your look. You were incredibly skinny, your clothes were torn, and you had scratches and bruises all over your body. Your hair was covered in mud, several leaves were stuck dead to your head; it was impossible to assume what color your hair was. You were constantly shaking, ether because of cold or feather. You looked like a lonely, lost ghost, so pale and small... And yet, on your skull-like face, covered with dust and blood, shined a smile. That smile was like nothing I've seen before. It glowed; it was so warm and kind that I almost slipped down again.

'You... Dropped your bag...' you said, still stretching the bag out.

'Thank you...' I carefully took the bag, afraid that you will vanish in this eternal rain, that you will disappear with a smallest blow of wind...

You looked down, shyly.

'What is your name?' I asked.

'I don't know...'

'How... come?' I was shocked.

'I just don't know!' you fell down on the road, crying and hitting the mud with all your might.

I put my bags down and picked you up.

'Now, now, it's enough crying. A beautiful young lady like you shall not let emotions overcome herself, understood?' I said.

'Understood.' you wiped away your tears, and glared at me proudly. That was the first and last time I saw you crying, my child...

I chuckled and patted your head. I talked to you for a little bit longer, and found out that you don't know who you are, or where you are, who are your parents, where you live, how you got all the way down here... Just nothing. A blank.

I took you home, bathed you, and wrapped you in my white robe. It was way too big for you, you were just adorable with your long blonde hair and huge, curious grey eyes. No longer were you a torn down ghost from the street, you looked like a fairy, like an angel that fell down from the sky.

As you sat on my lap, observing the house with pure childish interest, I was carefully treating your scratches and bruises.

'Wonder where you've got them from...' I thought worried.

I was rubbing the lotus balsam into your cheek, when you suddenly pushed my hand away and jumped down. You rushed down the hall, tipping over the robe, but getting up and continuing running. I gasped... You stood in front of the mirror.

You touched the mirror surface and stroke your hand down it. Amazed, you waved your hand, watching the reflection mimic your every move. You smiled and started jumping, waving, grinning to the mirror. I came down to you and held your shoulders.

'Now, time to calm down.' I said.

'Is that me?' you asked, still astonished.

'Yes, that is you... Anita.' I smiled, and my reflection smiled in reply.

'Anita? Is that my name?' you asked, your eyes open so wide I was scared they'll fall out.

'Yes. Would you like to be my granddaughter and live with me from now on?' I asked.

'Yes! Yes!' you hugged me happily.

'Then welcome home... Anita Chitsuke.'

You were living with me, ever since. One day, about four months after our meeting, I found you in the library, carefully observing the wall decorated with weapons. You rubbed your hand against the large katana blade placed in the middle.

'Ow... Ow!' a drop of blood appeared on your finger, and you quickly put it in your mouth.

'Anita! What do you think you are doing?' I rushed up to you.

'Iamsorry' you mumbled with a finger in your mouth.

'Let me see it!' I demanded, and you obediently let me to take a look. 'Ahh, it's nothing... Now tell me, what were you doing here on the first place?'

'I was just walking around...' you answered. Suddenly, your eyes filled up with that same glow as when you first saw your reflection. 'Grandmother! I want to become a ninja when I grow up!'

'You _what_? Why?' I asked, very surprised.

'They are so strong and wise! Can I be as strong and wise as a ninja, Grandmother?'

'Why, yes.' I chuckled. 'I will find you the best sensei I can, and we will start training as soon as you turn nine ok?'

'But why nine?' you moaned disappointed.

'You are too small, you have to wait. Now, no more questions! It is time for you to go to sleep.'"

She kept her promise. She found me a sensei, a friend of hers, as she told me. His name was Rashi, and that is pretty much all I can recall about him. He wore a mask over his face, navy blue jumping suit and a grey vest. His eyes were dark and cold, and, to be honest, I was scared of him a little. He taught me some Ninjutsu and chakra control, and that was pretty much it. I spend far more time building up my physical strength, as he said it is far more important then summoning demons and making "little spells". Man, he was wrong...

My body complexion is weak and thin, it was obvious that Taijutsu won't get me far. And yet, he insisted, training me to exhaustion, when I was secretly reading Ninjutsu books at night.

"Anita, eat up! We have tons of important things to do!" Grandmother gave me a cup of tea and pancakes.

I ate, silently, while somebody knocked in the door.

"I'll go get it..." Grandmother said. "Coming!" she yelled.

I heard a familiar 'squeeeeak!' as she opened the door. And then... silence.

"Grandmother?" I asked.

Silence.

"Grandmother Chitsuki?"

No answer.

"Come on, Grandmother, this is not funny!" I yelled angrily and rushed to the door.

I gasped in shock.

Several men were standing at the doorway. They all were dressed in black, and had masks covering half of their faces. Two were standing beside the door. There were probably more outside.

One was holding a kunai knife pushed against my grandmother's throat.

"Now, Moonblood kid... Do as we say, and the old woman will stay alive for a while longer.", he demanded.


	2. Chapter 2: Dust and Blood

**Chapter 2**

"Now, Moonblood kid... Do as we say, and the old woman will stay alive for a while longer." A man dressed in black demanded, pushing a kunai knife against my Grandmother's throat.

I was paralyzed with fear and anger. I could barely breathe. I felt like everything was covered with mist, the objects around me were blurry and unrecognizable. My feet felt like they were melting, my knees were bending and my hips were unable to bear the weight of my body. I gasped and covered my mouth with a shaking hand.

_"This is not happening. This is a bad dream, just a dream... "I_ thought.

The man in the mask was getting impatient.

"Hey, kid, snap out of this or I'll slice her head off right now!" he growled.

I finally managed to gather my thoughts together.

"What's going on?!" I wanted to yell, but whispered instead.

"Did you just say something, you little brat?" the man on the right of the door wondered.

I started getting angry.

"What the hell is going on?!?" I screamed like never before.

"Now that's more like it," the kunai man grinned. "Just follow our instructions and you and your worthless bag of dirt that you call Grandmother will not be harmed. Now, will you cooperate, you slug?"

"No! Grandmother, what do I do?!" I wanted to kill those men. Here and now. But it is obvious that they will outplay me - they are stronger, smarter, there are a lot of them, and those bastards got Grandmother.

"Anita... Don't rush anything, just do as they say and we will be all right..." Grandmother whispered.

"But Grandmother..."

"Do you want this b die or what?!?" the kunai man was getting mad. He might as well kill both of us right now if I don't act.

My chest was going up and down, as I breathed heavily.

"Fine." I cut short. "What do you want from me?"

"Good girl. Now listen: Go up to your Granny's room and get to the table beside her bed. Pull out the bottom; you hear it, BOTTOM knob. There will be a small rosewood box in the far right corner of it. Open it, take out whatever you find in there and take it up here. TAKE EVERYTHING YOU'LL FIND IN THERE. If I find out that you took something out without showing me first, you and your little Granny will die."

I was puzzled. Grandmother's room? Rosewood box? And how did he know the directions? Something is way, way not right...

"Now, Aki, you will go with the brat and make sure she does as I said!" the man that held Grandmother ordered.

A man to the left of the door slowly moved towards me. He moved quietly, every step was greeted by cold and frightening silence.

_"Just like the lions do when hunting..."_ I thought.

"Move it." he growled, and pushed me towards the stairs.

I barely made it on my shaking legs up to the second floor.

_"Ninja..." _I thought with disgust._ "What kind of ninja am I, shaking like a newborn kitten?"_

"Will you hurry it up?" Aki moaned.

I couldn't help it. It was like a nightmare I will never wake up from.

"A nightmare? This? Ha, your 'nightmare' just begun, Moonblood..." the man chuckled. "NOW HURRY IT UP!"

Was he reading my thoughts?

Finally, I made it to Grandmother's room. I solemnly walked to the table an pulled the bottom knob shaped like some wonderland flower.

But there was nothing in there.

No rosewood box, nothing. Thick layer of dust covered the bottom of it.

"There... There is nothing in there, sir." I said. Great. Now they will kill me.

"What?!?" Aki jumped up to the table and knocked me away from it.

"It can't be... It can't be..." he whispered, carefully checking the rest of the table, cursing and swearing. "Damn it... Let's go, kid. MOVE IT, I SAID!" he pushed me towards the stairs.

The kunai man glared at me with hatred. I shivered.

"Hand it in, Moonblood."

"I don't have 'it'" I smirked.

"WHAT?"

"There was nothing in there."

"You better explain yourself..."

Aki man came down, soundless as before.

"Now, Bato. The kid is right, there is no rosewood box. Although I noticed that the layer of dust in the far right corner is somewhat thinner than the rest... Looks like somebody took it before us a while earlier."

"But no one can even touch it unless he or she is a Moonblood and unless it's..."

"Listen, Bato, let's just shut up and take the kid to the boss. It's the best we can do for now."

"And the old woman?"

"Keep her. The kid won't listen to us unless her life is endangered, trust me." Aki chuckled. "Hey, little brat, looks like you are coming with us." he said.

I felt something hit me in the neck and fell down unconscious, almost happy to let go the weight off my legs.

"Ahhhhh..."

I finally woke up. I was cuddled up on the floor, and shivering because of cold... Did I fell from the bed again?

I rubbed my eyes with my icy hands and tried to lift my head. Hell, it felt like it weights a ton! I carefully touched my neck, for it felt like a snake was slithering around it, it felt so cold and heavy...

Oh my god.

It was a metal ring. An enormous metal ring. A metal ring wrapped around my neck.

"Wha... Why?" I felt scared and cold.

I somehow managed to get up and look around.

"Where in the world..." I whispered.

I was inside a cage. Thick metal bars, every one of them as big in diameter as a palm of my hand surrounded me. I touched the ring on my neck again; my thin and shaking fingers found a chain attached to the side of it. I turned around, and noticed another ring around my left ankle.

I was chained to a wall.

Both rings were too big for me though. I could easily slip them away, what I tried to do, but...

"If I was you, I wouldn't do it." I heard a familiar voice.

Aki?

Memories of today (or was it today?) flashed inside my head.

Grandmother, at the edge of death. A group of men with masks. A missing rosewood box. A tranquilizing dart in my neck.

I have been kidnapped.

I growled, and started to take off the ring on my neck.

"Kid, I mean it, don't do it. All of us will die, including you."

"What is going on?! Why am I chained up in a giant cage?! Where is Grandmother?!" I yelled furiously, my eyes filling up with tears.

"We will explain everything to you later. Now relax, and enjoy the view..." He said, opening the curtains on an enormous window right in front of me. He chuckled and left.

I growled and looked around.

I was inside of some sort of... castle? The walls as well as the floor were made of stone. It was cold and wet; the walls were green of fungus. And it stinks... Of what?

The smell was sour, fresh, and somewhat metal. But it was not the rusty bars, it was something else, something that made my head dizzy and my blood boil...

Blood.

It was the smell of blood and death. This place was filled up with its odour, crawling up my nostrils and making me fall down once again.

I fell on something soft and wet, hearing a loud 'smack!' as my head hit the floor.

I shrieked and jumped away in horror as I opened my eyes and glanced at what I was lying on.

The corner of my cage was filled with giant chunks of meet. It was quite fresh... Streams blood run across the door, several rats already feasting on them. Disgusting sound of flies buzzing around the stinking mass of flesh made me throw up.

_"What is that place?_

_Why am I here?_

_Why do they keep me like some sort of animal?" _I thought, crying and sobbing loudly, my limbs numb and my head getting heavy again.

The sun was slowly starting go set, leaving me in the room of dark and horror.


	3. Chapter 3: The Awakening

**Chapter3**

_"Why?" _I sobbed, hugging my knees.

The floor was cold, wet, and very uncomfortable. I was sitting here for about an hour already, but it felt like an eternity. Eternity in dark, with no knowledge of where you were or what will happen to you next; eternity of scare cold, smell of blood - can you possibly imagine a punishment harsher? Nothing, nothing could be worse than being forced to be in a place like this.

And I was only an eleven-year-old girl. This was way, way too much.

Suddenly, the very door Aki left from squeaked. I jumped up, watching the soft orange strip of light escaping from behind it, growing and enlightening the room. My fear and suspicion grew along with it.

A group of people approached, silent shadows sliding inside. Suddenly, someone lit a... '_Candle?'_ I guessed, by the look of a small flame dancing on a tall stick. The same hand that was holding that abnormally long and thin candle moved towards the (I am still shivering, wanting to say "my") cage. He lit several other similar candles with it. I think there were six orseven of them by the ether side of the cage... But let's move on.

The light from candles has given the room even creepier and cryptic atmosphere. Being bright yellow, it still gave out cold waves towards me. Or was it just my imagination? Most likely, considering the things I was through during past hours. I shivered, once again.

I looked up, examining the figures that surrounded me. They all were wearing black, long cloaks that covered them from chin to toe. They all had wide hoods pulled over their faces, so I couldn't see their faces ether.

_"Shadows... Literally," _I gasped.

"So, _this _is our future Chitsuke bearer? She is barely a pathetic child! She will collapse on her first moon! What in the world were you thinking, Mother?" a male voice spoke.

Figure in black cloak that stood out, being shorter and somewhat rounder than others whispered something in the ear of the shadow beside her.

"It is none of your concern right now. Mother knows better who suits the host position. Now, begin the ritual before the moon is up," the shadow spoke.

That Mother didn't want even her _voice _to be recognized. Smart.

"Yes, most certainly your Highness."

Three figures moved towards me. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't even move my lips. What? I couldn't move a single inch of my body. It was surprising that I was still able to blink. _"What in the world..." _I thought. Was it some kind of jitsu to hold me from fighting or talking back?

The trio opened the cage. The door creaked, that rusty sound was utterly disturbing. Two men took a hold of my hands, squeezing my wrists so tightly I let a silent scream inside my head. I still was unable to move. The third pushed me down on my knees and took out something. That'something' sounded scary and familiar... A metal and high-pitched sound.

"_Metal?" _rushed in my head before I realized what he was holding.

A knife.

Goosebumps crawled up my neck, like tiny insects.

He lowered the knife, and I felt the back of my shirt being ripped open. I was standing now, on my poor knees with a bare back and terror in my grey eyes.

I did not see what he was doing, but I heard him saying some kind of... spell? I was looking at the floor, not really protesting. Its over. There is no way to escape. I probably would die soon as well.

Its over.

The man was mumbling, and mumbling, and mumbling... It felt like he will never finish talking. I did not recognize the language; it had a lot of low, harsh sounds. Every syllable sounded as if it was escaping very deep from his throat. Every consonant was a quick growl or hiss.

Other shadows started repeating his words, soon all of them caught up. I felt my knees shaking, my head getting light. It was like I was floating in spirals down this strange, hypnotizing motive. The room around me was slowly spinning, I thought I am going to faint, but...

They stopped. They stopped all at once. I felt the cloth of my shirt being swept away from my back, I felt cold again. Cold. That was it. Its like all this, the cage, the kidnapping, the meat beside me, the strange people - all of it drained off my emotions, leaving only an empty shell.

Empty...

Why did they stop?

Everything was so still, so quiet. And... I could move again! But what's the use? I am not getting out of here anytime soon...

FLASH!

Suddenly, a huge wave of pain rocked down my body. It started off somewhere on my back, yes, a little bit down my left shoulder...

"AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" I yelled.

The pain was horrible. No, it was worse. No words can describe it, it crawled down my skin, through my flesh and bones. It was not as sharp as at the first time I felt it, but rather continuous, it pounded, it didn't stop!

"AAAARGH! AAARGH! AAAA..." every time a new wave of pain arrived, I screamed my throat off.

I wanted to run, to die, and to do anything but stop it! I was twitching, but the two shadows grasped tight. Stop it! Oh, God, just let me die right here, just let me parish from the face of this world, do anything, but STOP THIS PAIN!! I can't take it!!

I thought I was going to faint, but I was still conscious. Then... pain started to slowly fade.

No more it was grasping my entire body in its dreadful embrace, but shrinking, down to that very point below my left shoulder. Have you seen the waves on the pond of water when you throw a rock in it? Well, this was the same, except the pain was gathering into the point, instead of spreading from it. Soon, only that very place was pounding, very soon I realized that it was actually not that bad.

I thanked the gods inside.

I was breathing deeply, my entire body rising and falling along with my chest.

I smelled blood and burnt skin.

_"Burnt skin?" _My eyes widened.

Did they _cauterize_ me or something? F-f...felt like it...

Soon... the pain vanished. I felt somebody's chakra brushing against my back and into my wound. They healed it.

_"Why?"_

I felt my clothes change. In a matter of... seconds? What? Why? How?

Two men holding me let go. They and the man that was reading the spell left the cage. They seemed to be in a hurry.

I fell on the floor, face down. I struggled, but I sat up, still hardly breathing. What... will happen to me now?

I heard the group of shadows murmuring about something. I stared into the open space.

The candles went out, all at once. It wasn't dark though. The light was coming from the window. Soft, silver light... It was filling me up with unearthly joy, I felt like I could fly...

I will never, ever forget that light. This light seemed to bring my physical and mental strengths back; this light was embracing me, like a caring mother embraces her only and dearest child. This light was my soul, and my soul was this light. I felt like I could live through anything, like I will survive, stay alive just to see this light again, just too feel this again...

This light was coming from a full moon.

It was gazing down on me, silent and curious. It glowed, sending the rays of silver at me. It was hypnotizing in a soft, narcotic way. Like a lullaby... withought words.

My eyes widened, glued up to the silver disk in the navy blue sky.

And then, it started.

First, I felt that the metal grip around my neck and left ankle tighten. Before it was only weighting me down, now I hardly felt it pushing against my body. My body... was it changing its size? I glanced down at my hands... They were not the hands I knew they should be. They were like some sick joke of nature, a hybrid of a human hand and a paw. They were itching terribly; in fact, my entire body was itching like mad! Like a thousand ants crawled under my skin and now desperately wanted to get out.

I started scratching my hands, my face, my legs...(I was barefoot, by the way) In a matter of seconds, I was peeling my own skin off, just to reveal what was under it.

Fur.

My body kept growing, my bones the fastest. My flesh couldn't keep up; they were tearing right through it... It hurt even more than what I felt before. But the pain was fading immediately, my wounds healing in a flash. I probably looked like one trembling, growing clod of flesh, fur and bones. I felt my spine deform, forcing me to stand up on my four. My clothes disappeared; they seemed to melt right in my skin, to blend with my fur and muscles.

My face was no longer my face. It wasn't even... human. My mouth stretched abnormally, I felt two rows of knife-sharp teeth with my long, thick tongue. My jaws widened, they were two times as wide as a grown man's palm, and as long as the distance between the tip of your longest finger and your elbow.

And yet, I kept growing.

The cage that once looked enormous to me was becoming smaller with every second. But it wasn't the walls that were tightening.

Then, it stopped.

I was standing on my four... paws.

I observed myself.

I was huge. My head was nearly touching the ceiling. I hardly fit in the cage that was covering the most of the room. So tight. I didn't like it.

I run on the bars, felt them shaking. I gave out a loud growl.

Such strength... I felt such strength and power...

I felt like I am able to crush this entire world just with a swipe of my paw. I was myself... and yet, I wasn't.

I felt so strong, and it felt good.

I howled at the moon in delight. Such power! I loved it.

But delight and empowerment weren't the only things I perceived.

I felt hunger.

It felt like a black hole was just down my furred stomach, sucking on my insides. Like a leech stuck to me.

A hunger of an animal.

I roared, my roar echoing and turning into a sound close to the thunder's drum call.

I was so hungry...

So hungry... I wanted blood...

I wanted to stick my teeth into the warm and tender flesh. I wanted to feel the skin ripping under my jaws. I wanted to feel the blood running down my lips. I wanted to feel my tongue lick it off...

So hungry...

Then, I remembered. Of course! That delicious, that beautiful pile of meat that was left by someone, so carefree for me to enjoy!

I turned to it, drool dipping from my chin. I gave out a loud, satisfied growl and started feasting. My jaws were going up and down, clashing, and tearing the meat. It was cold... not quite what I wanted. But it was good. I felt chunks of meat going down my throat, falling into my stomach and devouring. Fast.

Soon, the huge pile of meat was gone, small ponds of blood on the floor. I licked it with delight, letting it roll in my mouth a little bit in order to catch its taste - just like the wine samplers.

But...

I still was damn hungry. Will this ever end? I needed to eat, and fast! And then...

I sensed something. Warmth, freshness, movement, fear...

That last sense of fear made my blood boil. My eyes shifted towards the door, towards the small group of shadow-people.

I was torn between two emotions. First, animal hunger. Second, human hatred for all the things they've done to me and Grandmother.

I run onto the iron bars again and again, and felt them shutter... I stood up on my back paws and pushed the bars out. I was free.

I growled towards the people. They stood in shock, they were scared. Bad idea. Fear made me even more furious.

Hunger and hatred. They were different emotions but...

My both selves agreed in one thing.

Those people must die.


	4. Chapter 4: Dream and Reality

**Chapter 4**

Ahhh, my head hurts so much...

_"The chains tighten and shatter into pieces. Screams, I hear screams all around me... Someone attempts to attack me, fool, _

_mere second - and he is just a pile of meet and bones on the floor..."_

It hurts, oh, my head hurts so badly...

_"I growl, jump in the crowd of shadows and slash my paw through them... More screams... More blood..."_

Oh, God, it hurts...

_"They got me... Argh! I feel pain in my left side, cold metal stuck into my flesh... That hurt, bastard! I jump into the window, the only exit they forgot to block... How stupid of them..."_

Stop! Stop pounding like crazy!

_"In a silver flash of light, I fall down, feeling the cold night air brush against my fur. I stand up on my four, realizing that the metal spear is still in my left side... I give out a soft growl and attempt to take it out with my jaws... Dark blood rushes out of my wound, pouring on the ground with a loud and disturbing sound..."_

Its so cold all of the sudden...

I sit up on my... bed?

What?

This can't be... This is not happening... What IS happening anyway?!

A second ago... I thought... I thought...

Grandmother and me were kidnapped...

I was in a cage... yes, a cage.

Moon... Silver, beautiful light...

Me... Changing...

A headache, a horrible hedache...

Was this all a dream?

It was morning. The sun already rose. I heard the usual village noises you hear in the morning - kids laughting, people rushing, the screaking of the wheels, the barking of dogs. My window, oddly, was open. I hate sleeping with an open window, it gives me sence of insecurity and fear. I slowly got up and walked to close it.

The light coming through the leaves of an old oak was golden-green. Its branches were slowly dancing with the wind, allowing quick sparkles of light to pass through. I took a deep breath and sneezed immideately. I should've known better - my window on the second floor was facing a busy and dusty street.

I started to close the window, but then I noticed something odd...

A little piece of paper, only as big as my palm was pierced through the very middle of it with a bent nail and stuck to the frame of my window. I quickly reached to get it and my eyes widened in surprise - it was a note written on a hustly torn out piece of yesterday's newspaper with unaccurately words scrumbled with some cheap ink.

_"Read and understand, little girl._

_For this is the only help you shall recieve._

_Lay low._

_Eternal way of the Damned lies to the opposite."_

Lay low... Way of the Damned? Huh? What kind of note is that? I was puzzled. The window seemed to be open just now... Yes, about now - it sould be the cold coming from the outside that woke me up. Then... Someone was there. Someone was in my room! Or at my window, at least; and it couldn't possibly be Grandmother - the note was way too high for her, she couldn't reach all the way up considering her age. And what's the point of her leaving me such cryptic and unreasonable note on the first place?

Hold on.

Grandmother.

_"Men dressed in black... The throat and kunai... Strange demands... Me, knocked unconscious..."_

Oh, yes. The dream, all a dream... no reason to panic. But man, did that dream seem real!

I dressed up and looked at myself at the mirror.

Average height... well, for my age at least. Skinny as a tree in winter. Long, thin, light hair that were forever tied in a low ponytail - for some reason I always comb it like this. But no matter what I do to it, no matter how hard I push on the comb, no matter how tight I tie the black satin lace around it - thin strands of hair always fall on my face. I hate that!

Well, overally I was average. The kids from around our neighbourhood called me "ghost" - for my pale skin, eyes, hair, and my preferation of grey colors. A little grey mouse.

But there was a reason I liked grey. I never was a kid that liked a crowd (I am still really uncomfortable with people I don't know, especially the ones of my age) - I would always rather take a walk in the park, explore the empty sunrise streets, or read a book in some quiet, abandoned place. Alone. My grey clothing was helping in a way - I ether blended with the walls or the road or was just too small and grey to be noticed.

As I observed myself, I realized that I am still holding the note I found on the window. I shook my shoulders and stuck it in my left pocket.

I never thought then that that might be the last time I saw my own reflection.

I slowly walked down the stairs, listening to the familiar screeching of the old wood panels, brushing my palm against the smooth surface of the wall. A comforting smell of something being cooked in the kitchen, a noise of water running, the usual morning mutter... Everything was cuddling my mind and soul; the suspicions of my dreams were slowly floating away in the sea of this tender warmth...

I was met by a loving smile on Grandmother's face as I approached the tiny kitchen.

"Awake already, my darling? Has something happened you look rather worried?" she asked softly.

"Yes... I mean, no, not at all. Just a bad dream, I think..."

"Oh, a bad dream, you say? Mind to tell your good old Grandmother about it?"

"Uh... sure... I do not remember it that well though... You were kidnapped, and... No, its me who was kidnapped, I was scared, and cold, and there were those people..." I murmured. Those memories of my dream... were slowly floating away, like any dream does after a while. But I just woke up... Why do they disappear so fast?

"Nothing to worry..." Grandmother softly stroked my hair.

"A moon... A light... Blood..."

"Just a dream, my darling..."

"A monster... Me..."

"Just close your eyes, my dearest... Just forget it, it is nothing to worry about... Just a dream..."

"Just a dream..." I was lulled by her soft voice...

Just a dream...

Nothing to worry about...

None of that horror happened...

Everything is back to normal...

"Everything is fine now, my little angel," Grandmother stroked my hair once more, planting a wet kiss on my temple." Just forget about it now, it is just a bad dream..."

"Yes..."I smiled, and went up the stairs minding to take a shower.

"And where do you think you are going?" I heard a yell from downstairs.

"I'll just take a shower... I'll be quick!" I answered.

I took my bathing robe out and turned the water on.

Damn! The towel!

I forgot the towel in my room, how very like me. Forgetting... things.

I sighed and let the water run as I walked back to my room. Swinging the soft cloth around my shoulder I was about to slid the door closed, when I heard the phone ring.

I sprinted towards Grandmother's room and lift the phone, blindly realizing that Grandmother picked it up downstairs as well. There I stood, torn between an honest intention to listen to the conversation and an urge to_ put it back_. Now... I was an eleven-year-old girl.

Curiosity took over pretty fast.

_"...remember it still?"_ a voice with no tone questioned. It sounded like whisper of two papers being stroked against each other. Quiet, yet disturbing voice.

"Not entirely," I heard Grandmother say. "But I'm not sure if Genjutsu will last any longer. An hour, perhaps... Then I'll put her to sleep again. The brat is a lot of trouble lately."

_"Did she have any visitors?"_

"No. But when I came to her with another injection her window was swung open. I went to close it, but she started waking up."

_"Keep an eye on her. She must not, by any circumstances, escape; she is too much of an importance now."_

"Our first Chitsuke to survive in years, yes... But are you sure she's fit?"

_"Again, you are questioning Mother's orders! She's perfect. An orphan... well, legally."_

"I am her guardian by law."

_"Yes... That is just what we need for the moment; the authorities have no suspicion whatsoever."_

"But what will we do for the next moon?"

_"We will tame her until then, I suppose. Then we will use and dispose of her. The cleanup will take about a month... We will proclaim her missing; the search parties will last for a year or so."_

"Perfect timing."

_"Perfect timing indeed. Just enough time to recover the Chitsuke and find a new host. So... what are you going to do to her now?" _

"I can feel the Genjutsu I put on her weaken already, so I think she should be able to see it by now. I need to take all mirrors out of the house as soon as possible, it is too much of a..."

I didn't listen anymore. I was watching the phone swing back and forth on the chord. Back and forth. Back and forth. A strange white pendulum.

My head was buried in my knees, my face wet of sweat and my hair sticking to my forehead.

My heart was beating across my ribs like a lone bird in a cage. I was biting on my lip so hard I could feel the salty drops of blood with my tongue.

My right hand was clinging to my arm, to the space just above my left elbow.

I could feel it. Seven little bumps on my skin.

Seven little red dots.

Seven tranquilizer injections.

My head was a whirlpool of thoughts... But one thing stood out clear as the mountain air.

Run. Run for your life, Anita. Run before they catch you.

Run before they find out what you've done.

Run before they make you hurt again.

Run before you turn into that _thing._

Run, Anita. Run for your life.

Half an hour ago, I would have a million reasons not to do so. Half an hour ago, I would find a million explanations of that strange conversation. Half an hour ago... was half an hour ago.

I breathed heavily as I ran down the road with no particular direction. Forward, only forward and away from the home, down the dusty road. No, not from the "home". From that _place_.

I could not go back, not after what happened. And no, it was not the phone conversation.

My sandals were kicking up small clouds of dust behind me, dust was slithering between my toes, it tickled and annoyed. But that's what you get when running down the road in the Village Hidden in the Leaves where the temperature outside did not drop below the boiling point for nearly a month already.

That was pretty strange, but the meteorologists say it was because of rapid sandstorms in the nearby Suna. I never believed the meteorologists. Nor I do now.

Sweat was blinding my eyes, but shock and adrenaline pumped in my veins like crazy giving me the speed and energy I needed.

Good.

For now.

Here I sat; hand on the spot just above my elbow, nails dug deep into my skin, eyes solemnly watching the phone stop it's swinging.

I got up, dropping the towel on the floor - not that that matters anymore or anyhow.

I walked to the bathroom door, ever so slowly turning the water off. The air smelled moist and sour.

What do I do now?

I sat on the edge of wood-encircled bathtub, thinking, thinking, thinking...

Think.

Think, Anita, think...

Was that conversation about me?

Yes, my mind answered.

Was Grandmother involved in this?

Yes.

Did she stuff me up with tranquilizer like a goose with apples?

Yes.

Did she mean to harm me in any way?

Perhaps, but not now.

Was that dream a reality?

Most certainly.

Will it happen again?

You don't know.

Am I going to die?

Silence.

Am I?

No answer.

I let my hand slide away from the seven red bumps on my skin.

And just sat there, intensively thinking.

Am I going to die?

And what is there, just behind the curtain of pain? An eternity of heaven? An eternity of hell? An eternity at all?

Or will there just be silence and darkness, forever?

And am I really that afraid of death?

My hands were shaking, my fingers interlacing with each other in a nervous pattern.

So many questions. I want answers.

I NEED answers.

Now or never.

I stood up, and rushed towards the stairs... I will talk to Grandmother. I will ask her questions. I will get my answers. Should I tell her about me listening to th...

And then it happened.

Nothing supernatural, nothing extremely unusual or fascinating. Nothing out-of ordinary.

I bumped into something warm and solid.

Warm.

Soft.

And it smelled like homemade cookies... No, pancakes. I'm pretty sure of it.

Warm cloth nuzzled my nose for a second, and then it tipped down.

And then it fell.

With widening eyes, I watched the body bounce down the stairs all the way to the bottom.

Bum. Bum. Bum.

A soft "bum" echoed down the house every time it hit the hardwood step.

My eyes grew wider and wider with every "bum". My body shivered harder and harder. My hand clasped my mouth tighter and tighter.

My heart beat louder and louder

I heard an ugly crack.

There she was.

Her neck twisted.

Her right leg swung at

(her neck TWISTED)

an impossible angle.

Blood dripping down the corner of her mouth.

A spatula

(oh God, oh GOD, her neck is TWISTED)

still in her hand.

My Grandmother.

_Dead._

Once again, I felt my body turn into a pile of shaking jelly. I grasped my hands into the railings.

_Dead._

I just stood there, unable to take a step forward, unable to even blink. I knew and I've read about people being paralyzed with fear and shock, but I never imagined it to be like this. Unable to move a single muscle, an ultimate fear trap.

Come on, Anita... Go down, one step at a time. One-two. One-two. Snap out of it!

_Dead. _

For a second I thought I saw a smirk on Grandmother's face.

_"Come on down and lay here with me, Anita. Come on and feel my cold. Come down and touch my neck, look how twisted it is. Come down, child, and I'll show you how badly it hurts to die."_

"NO!" I shrieked, feeling my hands slip from the railings and grasp the thin air.

For a moment, I thought I saw the gates of Hell open before my eyes.

_"Yes, my child, hell. Hell is where you are going to go. Just like all those murderers and thieves. You stole my life away, Anita. You KILLED me. Naughty little girls will be PUNISHED. And you will be in PAIN for this for ETERNITY..."_

I didn't fall. My hands securely clashed around the railing bars at the last second.

Grandmother never had that last second.

"SHUT UP!' I yelled. "You are dead, you hear me?!? YOU CAN'T TALK! You will not tell me what to do, you are DEAD! DEAD! DEAD!"

The corpse lay unmoved and silent.

I let go of the railings and rushed up to my bedroom.

I panted heavily, sticking out a tongue like a tired dog. It is hot. The afternoon is coming like crazy, and it will only worsen as the time passes. Better save my energy, sit down and eat...

There, I see a cafe ahead. Cafes usually have tables and chairs, right?

Come on, just a little more... Almost made it...

I sighed with relief as I stepped into the shade of a small cafe, closing the door behind me and hearing the doorbell ring a cheerful tune. I set myself in the very corner, half-hidden behind a plant with wide, spiky leaves. A small palm, perhaps?

I unzipped my bagpack and took out small ceramic thermos and an apple. No one came up to me and asked if I wanted to order something... Do they have people like me come here very often, I wonder?

I bit into the watery flesh of the fruit, carefully chewing on every bit of it, sucking all the juice. I've heard somewhere, that the slower you eat, the longer you will not feel hunger. Which was very important to me right now... to prolong my food and money as long as I could, until I figure out what to do.

I looked around, my eyes slowly adapted from the blinding shine outside to the calming half-darkness of the cafe.

There were four tables ahead of me, each accompanied by two or three chairs and covered with a fresh snow-white napkin. There were two visitors besides me in there; a pale woman slipped her morning coffee in an opposite corner, and a man in a green hat that was carelessly pulled to the back of his head. The man was closer than woman; he sat right in front of the large window. The turned-around letters on the glass read "foC s'arihsaN"... I mentally flipped them and got "Nashira's Cof". Coffee Shop, probably. I couldn't see the rest of the phrase; thick navy curtains were blocking it out.

I turned around, and saw a chalk board with half-erased prices written on it. Which reminds me... Just how much money do I have left?

I checked my right pocket, but it was empty. I put my hand in another one, and took out three pieces of paper, ten thousand yen's worth each. A bill for another twenty-eight thousand yen. A countless bunch of metal coins. A piece of newspaper.

A piece of newspaper?

I put the money back, observing the note. Hey... That's the very note I found on my window this morning!

_"Read and understand, little girl._

_For this is the only help you shall receive._

_Lay low._

_Eternal way of the Damned lies to the opposite."_

I stroke my chin, still puzzled by the message.

Grandmother...

I shivered.

Grandmother said that she saw my window swing open. Which means that she couldn't possibly leave the note, which is even clearer now considerign that she and whoever was on her side were after me.

So that note must've come from the opposite side of whatever is going on. That makes the Person that left me the message my ally... Doesn't it?

Ridiculous thoughts. Even if the Person was my "ally", what was he... she... _It_ trying to say?

It doesn't make sense. Doesn't make sense at all.

I scanned the words once again, still without any ideas whatsoever.

I looked at the large clock to my right only to see that there was about an hour left until noon. By then, there will be simply too hot outside for people to come in, they will be all stuck inside their well-conditioned houses slipping ice cold lemonade and watching some fuzzy soap operas. Which is good, because there will be barely anyone to notice or bother me on my way.

And bad, because a lonely girl running across the streets is an easy target.

Goosebumps crawled across my spine, as I thought about it. _An easy target. _Who was after me, anyway?

First, the people in black. When will they find out that Grandmother is dead and I ran away? Did they call yet and got no answer?

Second, the police or whoever there is in the crime department. Corpses cannot just lie around without anyone noticing. But then again, they could call it a house accident, can't they? It _was _an accident after all... wasn't it?

Again, I felt myself shake with no symptoms of fever or cold.

Concentrate... Anita, concentrate. You should not let yourself go if you want to survive.

Then again, sooner or later they'll notice that I'm gone. Probably sooner than later. Then what?

Where am I going to go?

I shake my head and returne to the note.

I swore out loud. And by "out loud" I mean OUT LOUD.

Quickly, I ducked under the table. Whoops. Did they hear it?

But there were no "them", apparently. Both woman and man were gone. I sighed with relief.

The sheet of paper hastily torn out of my notebook lied in front of me. Beside it, a pencil and that very note.

THAT GODDAMNED NOTE.

For how long have I been trying to figure it out? Minutes? Hours?

_Eternity_.

I swore again, this time making sure no one could hear me.

_Lay low_... my ass.

I tried reading the note backwards.

I tried mixing the words together.

I tried circling every third letter.

I tried circling every fourth letter.

Heavens... I tried anything I could do with this note. Anything. EVERYTHING.

I was at my boiling point.

_Eternal way of the Damned lies to the opposite._

I grumbled. Whoever sent this to me is ether extremely crafty or enjoys the sufferings of others.

I glanced at the table, noting the poor apple I left untouched. I bit into it hard, as if trying to take my anger off on the innocent fruit.

"It's all your fault," I said, accusingly pointing a finger at the note and chewing on the apple.

Yeah, that's right. First you blame unliving things in something they didn't do. Then what, talking to yourself? Oh, hold on, scratch that. I've gone through this one already.

I heard the doorbell ring and the door swing open. The sudden current of wind picked up my notebook sheet and I bended down to pick it up.

I glanced at it, and couldn't believe my eyes.

I held it backwards now, and I was looking at the place where I wrote out every single word of the note. Every word - new line.

I turned it around.

_Lay_

_Low_

_Eternal_

_Way_

_of_

_the_

_Damned_

_Lies_

_to_

_the_

_Opposite_

I turned it around again.

_Opposite_

_the_

_to_

_Lies_

_Damned_

_the_

_of_

_Way_

_Eternal_

_Low_

_Lay_

The capital letters clearly spelled:

_O  
L  
D_

W  
E  
L  
L


	5. Chapter 5: Tales of the Damned

**Chapter 5**

**Tales of the Damned**

**A/N: **Hello)

Thanks for reading this far, I really hope you've enjoyed it.

Anyway, I am doing a few changes in format from now on. First of all, you will notice little poems in the beginning of each chapter that will lead you into the mood, and perhaps give you some hints of what's to come (and yes, I write them myself because I feel like it . ). Second, I am weaving in several other characters (YAY!), which means that the setting will be changing for some time as well as the point of view. Instead of the first person all the way, it will constantly change to the third person. BUT, when I do write in the first person, it will be Anita's perspective, and Anita's only.

I am really sorry for the late update. I had to do quite a research, catch up with school, and such... Busy, terribly busy, not to mention the horrible writer's block.

Oh, and one more thing... Gees, how could I forget this? Gotta stick it in the first chapter, too'

DISCLAIMER

_All the characters, places and such from the world of "Naruto" are a property of Masashi Kishimoto and his partner companies. All the new and original characters and places that have not been mentioned in the manga and anime "Naruto" are property of myself and are NOT free to use. _

_**In shadows of the moonlit light**_

_**They crawl around, they spread a fright**_

_**They watch you, they won't go away**_

_**The tales of the damned are nightmares of today.**_

_O L D W E L L_

I was flabbergasted, to say at least. Old well...

Sounds very much like a place for a meeting. But there was a problem. Oh Kami-Sama...

Old well? There were probably tens, if not hundreds of a old wells across Konoha. And to make the matters worse, I had no slightest idea where to find one.

My hopes dropped even lower... I have to stay grey and hidden. I have to have as little people noticing me as I can; this is my only way to survive. I can't just run around the village asking every second person about an old well and rise around suspicions (if a little girl running around with a small black backpack is not suspicious enough). I have to... figure this one out on my own.

I took a drink of cold blueberry flavored tea from the thermos, threw the leftovers from my apple into the plant pot and started packing up.

This is going to be one long journey...

Ring. Riiiiing.

Ring. Riiiiing.

Ring. Riiiiing.

Back in the house the phone rang, unnoticed by silence that enveloped it in a thick blanket.

"Oh, shut up already, I am coming," said Grandmother.

Slowly, ever so slowly she got up. Her joints cracked as she moved towards the phone, her neck making a ninety-degree turn and getting back into place.

She wiped, or rather scratched off the dry blood on the corner of her mouth.

"Yes?"

_"At once you answered! Now, what's going on?!"_

"Calm down, I've got bad news. The brat ran away."

_"What? When?"_

"About an hour ago, maybe a little less. She knocked me down the stairs."

_"What? Didn't you say that she cherished you, that she would never harm you on intention..."_

"The key word in this sentence is the word "intention". It was an accident; she broke my right leg and twisted my neck."

_"How?.."_

"Pushed me down the stairs, I told you already!"

_"I see."_

"You see, don't you? Well now, _listen_. She ran away. She RAN AWAY. Do you know what that means? _She knows about us. _She would never, you hear it, never run away if this... accident happened."

_"Shall we?.."_

"Yes. Set out squad RED to find her. And _fast_."

Grandmother yelled at the man some more, then sighed and put the phone back at the receiver.

"Those idiots..."

I just finished packing up, and was about to step out of the cafe when I noticed something was wrong. I just knew that... I felt there was another presence in the cafe besides me. Worried, I jerked my head around, but obviously there was nothing but dust, chairs, and twenty-year-old tables along with a badly watered palm plant.

Wonderful. Just wonderful. I am becoming paranoid.

Smirking, I leaped out of the café sending up some chakra to my feet.

I had a village to run over.

For Kuma Ibuki, life was nothing but a never-ending paradise of research, travel, and once again, research. His ever-greatest worry was being late for the local library to open and soaking those new manuscripts he just got from the Mist Village in the nearby river. And money? Money was never a problem, for he was able to manage his belongings carefully, having accounts in several countries and saving up on such necessities as food and clothing. Who needs a brand-new leather jacket and a dinner in the Restaurant Royale? His good ol' grey woolen sweater and a pack of instant noodles would do. Besides, he may not have a house on the coast of the wave country, bathing in crystal clear water and golden sunlight, lying in a tent, slowly slipping freshly served fruit cocktail and getting massage from the best maidens of the local village; but surely that can wait. Right now sun, water, and maidens were far away while a new edition of "Okami: Myth or Reality?" was a must.

But of course, as usual, any paradise has its end. Kuma's entire life changed in a flash, turned upside-down and set him in an endless chase after a fairytale that was not supposed to exist...

It all started on a faithful day back home in the Earth Country, when he ironically was walking towards the post office to get that very Okami book. Humming some cheerful tune, he was already thinking of digging into that book and of the places where it may lead him later on. What would it be this time? The Water Country with its sacred Kappa ponds? The Fire Country with its thick forests guarded by stealthy Kitsune? The Snow Country with Yuki-onna wandering around the streets in the snowstorm?

Whatever it is, it surely won't be boring. It never was...

A slight shade of pink, so slight it could be barely seen on his light tanned skin crawled across Kuma's face. Or maybe, just maybe, I would be able to go to the Lightning Country and pay a visit to Kumiko-hime... And maybe, just maybe she wouldn't crush me with that electrical doom-machine of hers. Oh Kami, how in the world does she lift that thing?

He chuckled, and looked up at the light blue sky, watching huge chunks of white clouds pass by, making the sunlight twinkle as it occasionally peeked through their soft edges. For a second he thought he saw an outline of Kumiko's profile in one of them, an Obi chasing her down with a huge...

And that's when he felt a bump, followed by a soft thud as something heavy felt on the ground followed by a series very... selective words, some of them were even new to him.

He carefully adjusted his glasses, amused by the richness of the vocabulary that the person was using, and held out a hand, observing an old woman he just knocked down.

She wore a colorful, but old kimono with bursts of flowers painted over the navy blue cloth along with an extremely wide straw hat with artificial roses and a bright pink lace. She had the most annoyed and irritated look you could possibly imagine an old woman to have, plus a constantly twitching eye under a pair of glasses so wide and thick she instantly reminded him of some sort of insect, possibly a dragonfly. Add to all that a fact that she held onto a worn-out lavender umbrella with a handle shaped like a parrot's head, and you'll get an old woman you do _not _want to occasionally knock down on a busy Iwagakure street.

As she swore on he tried to apologize for the fifth time already, one hand still stretched out in a helping gesture and another confusingly scratching through his short brown hair.

"Mam, I am really sorry.. Really, REALLY sorry... Please, be so kind and accept my apologies, for I did not mean to be so thoughtless and foolish... You see, I was about to get that new Okami book, and I usually tend to black out for a while when I am excited about such things, and..."

And then, unexpected happened. The old woman turned her bloodshot eyes to him, her pupils glistening with wild fire, a drop of sticky saliva on her lower lip.

_"What did you say about Okami?" _she hissed, digging her long pointy nails into the cloth of Ibuki's sweater.

"Okami... I am a researcher, a cryptozoologist of some sorts. I strongly believe that some myths created by the people are based on truth, if not actually true, and I do believe that there is a possibility of such a phenomenon as Okami existing... Please, do let go of my elbow, it really hurts," he mumbled, frowning and trying to suppress the pain he was going through. That old woman sure had a hell of a grasp.

"So... you believe," she whispered, a wide grin crossing her face. "Come with me, researcher. I will tell you a tale that will perhaps help you on your way and free some innocent souls." Her left eye twitched two times in a row.

Ibuki grunted. The least thing he needed was to follow some Okami crazed woman. Who knows what she can do?

"I am really sorry, but I'll miss my book..."

"COME," she hissed, so loud he was not able to protest.

And so the woman dragged him along the street, into some very suspicious neighborhoods and through a dusty doorway with no door present.

The place he was in now was nothing like he expected. There were no shrunken heads and shelves full of dry, smelly herbs. There was no smoke slithering in the air. There was no crowd of cats attacking his shoes.

The two-room apartment he entered was completely empty.

Bare, pictureless walls solemnly surrounded him, covered with an old and ugly yellow wallpaper that was ripped off here and there. The floor was extremely dirty, all covered up with dust, mud strains, and empty cigarette packs. There was a big box of sake just across the corridor. The apartment smelled of alcohol, cigarette smoke, and fish.

The old woman led him to the "kitchen" as he recognized the room. There was a small table on three legs and two empty sake boxes on the ether side of it. A lonely sink accusingly stuck out of the wall like a dead tree in the middle of the desert, all covered in mold and brown of rust. The same ugly wallpaper was present.

"Sit," the old woman released Ibuki and pushed him towards one of the boxes. He silently obeyed, while really thinking of how to get out of this dump place... FAST.

She threw her parrot umbrella aside and took a seat opposite to him.

"Now, boy... Listen. You may not believe what you hear, but this is all true - and of an extreme importance. Lives are being lost, dear. Children lives. It all started when the Black Mass decided to mess with the very essence of life..."

I panted like a dog as I jumped from roof to roof of still empty streets of the Konoha village. I can't believe I was so tired... I was searching for that old well for almost two complete hours already, and it was no fun game.

But if before I was sure I am not being followed, now suspicions filled up my head. I started seeing things, an old dumpster appeared as a squad of ANBU, and every bush seemed to hide an enemy. Bursts of paranoia kept crawling through my body leaving no place for logical thought.

It must've been the heat. The sun was at its craziest - and I had no more tea left in my thermos. I was tired and dehydrated... I needed water and rest.

Water and rest. That's right. I'll come to that well... No, I'll jump into that well, right into the freezing water! And then I'll drink until I can't take anymore water... And the person that's supposed to meet me doesn't matter anymore.

All I need is water and...

Suddenly, something flashed past my face. I touched my cheek in surprise and felt my fingers slide down something moist and sticky. I looked at my hand in surprise - it was covered with sweat and blood.

I touched my cheek again. That's right; I could feel the long, slender cut weaving its way from my nose to my ear.

"Oh, shit!" I yelped and jumped into the air as more sharp objects hungry for my blood sliced the thin air. I wasn't paranoid! I am being followed!

"Allright, who's there!" I shouted in a shaking voice. Oh-oh, stop panicking. Stop panicking right NOW. First rule of the ninja - _no panicking when fighting_. Or was it... Oh, who cares!

I ducked another series of weapons.

What in the world is going on!

I reached for my right thigh, but no kunai pouch was present. I looked all over my body, and it hit me - I was weaponless. Defenseless. Three figures in long black cloaks with a crimson kanji reading "red" stood in front of me.

"Just give it up, Moonblood brat. There's no point in ether running or trying to attack us. You have nether weapons nor abilities to control the goddamn Chitsuke yet. So just..."

I did not even listen to him talk. As soon as I realized that they have all the advantage, I did something they hardly expected me to do.

I threw my backpack into him and ran.

Once again, I cowardly ran for my life.

On the western side of Konoha, a female-looking figure darted in the woods, followed by several explosions.

The woman in armor and a heavy-looking weapon over her shoulder looked at the small crater she just created with a smirk of a mean kid who just painted his neighbors' cat green.

"This should do," she muttered and threw the weapon down in the crater.

"Hendge!" she yelled out and turned into a fragile-looking light-haired girl.

"We'll see who is hunting who," she laughed and zipped towards the village.

Demar Kaluko, three years the captain of elite squad RED was having a bad day. Not just bad... A HORRIBLE day. From the very morning he knew - this day will not go well.

Everything was against him today. He woke up with a major hangover, after a long night of celebrating the successful transmission of yet another Chitsuke spirit - a process he did not completely understand, but knew enough that the little girl-host will provide him with wealth, women, immortality, women, and... Yeah, he's guessing women again.

He highly doubted that the girl will withstand such force thrown upon her. Like.. Seriously, how can a huge, drooling, hairy beast fit into that brat? He did not quite comprehend that. For the first time they were using an underage female for the ritual, or so he heard. But he didn't care - when did his not-so-bright self do anything besides ripping the guts out of the ones he was assigned to eliminate or sliding his hand down the skirt of a newly picked up girl to pass a boring evening with?

And so, he and his "pals" celebrated their newly accomplished mission.

But every party has its consequences. And for Demar it was a skull-crunching headache and rapid nausea.

As he stood up and dragged himself for yet another trip to his little white water-filled friend, his phone demandingly rang.

After trying to squeeze out a comprehensible phrase not-so politely telling his distracter to leave him alone, he suddenly realized that the call was coming from the headquarters.

And there he was now, trying to fight back the horrible, horrible pain pulsing through his temple.

The goddamned brat with the goddamned Chitsuke inside goddamned ran away. And no other than him was sent to lead two of his retarded rookies on the trip straight to Hell... I mean, across the unbearably hot Konoha village after the runaway girl.

They caught up with her, finally, and the sun was at its hottest. The least Demar wanted right now was to run around in circles after a preteen girl. And the stupid uniform... Kaluko felt like a badly equipped desert nomad - dressed in black from head to toe and dreadfully dehydrated.

He threw two series of weapons at her, just to inform her of their presence. The girl swore, quite loudly.

"Allright, who's there?"

_"She noticed us. How lovely," _he thought.

He smirked as she started to look for weapons. _"Stupid girl. Do you really think that good-old Granny will leave her precious Chitsuke with a chance to defend herself?"_

"Just give it up, Moonblood brat. There's no point in ether running or trying to attack us.You have neither nether weapons nor abilities to control the goddamn Chitsuke yet. So just..."

And then that little bitch threw her backpack right at his banging head.

He growled and kneeled, realizing that she just go away from them. From THEM! From the elite RED Squad Division Five!

"Are you allright, Kaluko-san?" one of the rookies asked.

"NO DAMNIT! GO AFTER HER YOU MEAT-HEADS!"

"H-hai..."

Demar felt blood dripping down his nose. The pain in his head only seemed to increase with every drop, with every sunbeam attacking his body.

He vomited and fainted.

Imako and Shunai, newly recruited members of elite RED Squad Division Five solemnly chased after the swaying bunch of blonde hair, jumping from a tree branch to a tree brunch. They already lost count of how many kunai they threw at her, how many of them she dodged, and just how far they went into the forest.

"This girl..." Imako finally broke the silence. "Isn't she supposed to be a rookie eleven-year old ninja with only basic taijutsu learned?"

"Yes," Shunai answered. "She moves pretty fast. Too fast, I'd say..."

"Something's... Where did she go?" Imako suddenly stopped. They were at the end of the forest, or so it seemed. It looked like the area they were standing in was cleaned up just recently.

A narrow, but deep crater - or more like a long and narrow hole - peeked from the bushes.

"She probably slid into the hole. Let's go check it out." Shunai jumped down and sprinted towards the crater.

"No, Shunai, what if..."

But his comrade was already at the opening.

Imako was about to go after him, but an ear-splitting explosion rocked through the tunnel followed by a blinding flash of light.

"Shunai!"

Imako ran towards his comrade, suddenly realizing just what the girl dragged them into.

A trap.

"SHUNAI!" he yelled again, kneeling beside his comrade's burnt remains.

Suddenly, he heard a gentle chuckle coming from outside of the cave.

A short, but well-built woman with a bob haircut stood in front of him, some sort of a giant weapon pointing right at him. It looked like a firework thrower, with hundreds of wires interlacing around it. It gave out a quiet buzz.

"You're next, kitten-face," she smiled wickedly and pushed the trigger, releasing another sparkling electrical knot.

The rookie was too shocked to dodge the short-ranged blow.

She sighed, stepping over the blackened piles of smoked flesh.

"Disgusting," she commented. "No matter how well I adjust it, it's always this disgusting. Ah, I miss the good old days of nice, clean job... A couple of bombs and there is nothing left but ashes. Nice, clean ashes... No smell, no evidence."

With these words, she dumped the corpses into the crater and buried them with another explosion.

I ran.

I ran... And couldn't believe it.

Nobody was chasing me! They... Why did they give up?!

This was too good to be true. This was too good to be true!

But it was true, nobody was going after me as I hastily threw myself from a rooftop to a rooftop, from one road to another, and yet another. They ether gave up... Or it was a trap.

A trap it was, possibly. Actually, I highly doubted that the guys like them will just give up on me. I seemed like a valuable prey.

I sprinted toward a wall of a particularly tall building, planning to jump onto its roof from a box oddly situated relatively far from the wall.

But as I placed my foot onto the top of that box, it broke through the rotten wood.

"Crap," I jerked my foot free, and stared at the "box".

I tore off the rest of the wood covering the opening of... the well.

I shivered - the empty darkness of it did not really spread the hostility around. But... "OLD WELL" the note said, didn't it? It's not like I can't jump out of the well any time I want. Besides... Do I really have a choice?

I flexed my muscles and jumped down, into the black emptiness.


End file.
